It's Not Like I Can't
by kc creation
Summary: There's an old saying: "You can't judge a book by its cover." -Not even the seemingly rich and famous, as Kyo comes to realize. Maybe there's more to this rich boy than he originally thought? kyoxharu
1. un

**It's Not Like I Can't**

There was a lot of laundry that morning.

-Not that Kyo minded, however, because while he'd rather do anything than dig through strangers' unmentionables (really, did these people have _any_ shame?!), he just thanked the heavens that he wasn't on bathroom duty. He dealt with enough shit at this stupid hotel, the last thing he needed was to clean it too.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy his job (his foreign coworkers taught him enough Spanish to ace his finals for the remaining two years of high school), he just wished the guests wouldn't try so hard to live up to their snobby, rich stereotype. Almost everyday he felt disrespected and looked down upon, almost as if just because he worked nine to eleven hours for money that they made in a blink of an eye, he was somehow less of a human.

His father, a wealthy American investor, had been the heir to his parent's vast fortune, his mother, a beautiful though easy daughter of a French-Japanese crack whore. Obviously, they'd never married when he was born, and his mother overdosed when he was six, with cocaine bought from the small amount of money his father had sent as child support. It always sounded sad when you put it like that. In reality, he couldn't remember either of them, and keeping his father's last name really helped him get a job at his hotel. Kazuma, his loving foster father, would say it was because of his impressive resume, and his "straight A" report card, but really, they both knew better.

"Excuse me!"

The orange haired boy snapped out of his daze, gripping the laundry cart tightly in his hands. A snooty, dark haired woman was standing about a foot away, red-nailed hands on her bony hips. She stared at him expectantly, motioning her head to the the side in impatience. Kyo sighed, taking one hand off the cart in favor of his sweat-dampened hair.

"-Do you speak English?"

She blurted rudely, before he could even speak. He narrowed his eyes in confusion, wondering why the hell she would assume he spoke anything but.

"..Yes? Uhm, may I help you, Ma'am?"

He replied unsurely, letting his arm fall to his side.

"Thank God," She took her hands from her hips, smoothing out her silky jacket, "Come on, hun."

She turned on her heel, short hair swishing behind her. He stood, abashed, rooted to the spot.

"Well, come on!"

His eyes widened, and he pushed the cart hurriedly after her, only stopping to ask a kindly laundry lady to drop it off in the basement for him. He then followed the strange, wealthy woman to her room, wondering what she could possibly want of him, but knowing better than to actually think it was worth his time. Finally, they arrived in the suits, stopping in front of room _4-352_. She dug around shortly in her Coach purse, pulling out a key card.

"I told Mr. Sohma when he invested in this mediocre hotel chain, _'the first thing you need to do is replace those outdated televisions', _but oh-no, they'd just have to do for another two or three months!"

Well, at least he knew why he was there, and the task at hand almost seemed worth the trek to her room. Although, he felt like shaking the woman by the shoulders, and informing her that he would kill for a television _twice_ the age of the flat screen provided in her room.

"What happened to it?"

He finally asked, and she jumped, almost as if she'd forgotten he was there. _She probably had._

"I turned it on earlier this morning, and sparks flew from the back wires. Now it won't do anything; _cheap old thing_."

Kyo held back the urge the scowl.

"Did you try calling maintenance?"

He asked slowly, bending down to check the busted wires. A black stain stood prominent against the plain white walls, and tiny scraps of rubber littered the floor. The woman made an offended noise, and with his back to her, Kyo could almost see her hand go to her heart.

"Of course I did!"

She screeched.

"but the girl who answered barely spoke enough English to even say hello!"

_'you poor thing' _He felt like answering, but refrained. The woman obviously knew his father, and he could already tell that a lot of hard-working people were going to lose their jobs. He sighed sadly, standing from his kneeling position.

The woman eyed him for a moment, then crossing her arms, spat out a soft _'so?'._

"It's busted."

He stated, and she huffed impatiently.

"So, I can either haul a new one up here, or you can call the front desk and have them switch your room."

She seemed slightly flattered by this, and quickly informed him that while it was kind of him to offer, she'd just have her room switched. (maybe she didn't realize that regardless, he'd be stuck dragging a heaving television screen up the stairs and cleaning off the wall.)

and that was the end of it.

Later, just as the sun was beginning to set through the smog of the busy city, Kyo found himself rubbing a sponge furiously against the blackened stain on the wall. A brand new television sat only a few feet away, the old one already being carted outside to the dumpster. He silently berated himself for writing "good with technology" on his resume, therefore dooming himself to being forced every time to fix a broken TV, the washing machine, the old oven..

It was ridicules.

Quiet footsteps sounded in the hallway, but he chose to ignore them. The stain was being rather stubborn, and he really wanted to get the television hooked up before his shift was over. The steps stopped, the door behind him opening slowly, and he was finally forced to stop and look back.

A boy in his middle/late teens stood in the doorway, staring through confused brown eyes at the orange haired boy. He wore tight leather pants, and studded black boots. His black and white striped jacket was zipped only halfway, revealing a plain black shirt, and the many chained necklaces that hung around his neck. Kyo couldn't help but give him a strange look, and they stared at each-other for a moment longer, before Kyo finally piped up.

"May I help you?" He asked slowly.

The boy shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Where's my mom?"

He paused.

"..and my stuff?"

Kyo couldn't help but laugh at how aloof he seemed; so much the opposite of his snooty, self-assured mother.

"The TV's broken, so she switched rooms. You can go down to the front desk, and I'm sure they can give you the room number."

The boy ran a hand through his hair, and turned to glance behind him, sighing quietly to himself.

"Nah, I think I'll just chill here for awhile, you know, to freak her out a little?"

Kyo's eyes widened, watching nervously as the strange boy took a seat on the bed, kicking off his heavy boots. He smiled happily, unzipping his jacket and pulling it off, looking completely at ease in front of a total stranger.

"You know how mother's are, right _Mr_..?"

The orange haired teen turned back toward the stained wall, realizing that he only had an hour or so left before his shift ended and the boss came up to inspect his work. He scrubbed quickly, dirty water running down the wall in trails.

"It's Kyo. and no, I don't know." He drew out, and it sounded colder that it was supposed to.

The other teen was silent, the only sign that he was still there being the rustling of the sheets.

"Well, I'm Hatsuharu, but you can call me Haru." He finally spoke, "And would it be rude to ask why?"

Kyo stopped, feeling the boy's eyes on his back, face flushing red. It _would_ be rude, he felt like saying. It wasn't any of his business anyway. What was he supposed to say, _'Oh, I'm a bastard, and she overdosed because she didn't want me'? _This pampered _child_ would never understand.

"She's dead."

He found himself saying, and wondered why his mouth would betray him like that. He expected the teen to be silenced, and after rubbing the last of the mess from the wall, he placed the sponge back in the bucket.

"I'm sorry.. My dad left when I was little, but I know it's not the same."

The quiet words seemed strange and surreal through the noise of the outside, and Kyo almost thought he imagined them. It seemed impossible that anyone staying in this fancy, overpriced hotel would be so honest.

He placed the bucket by the window, making sure to keep his back turned to the wealthy teen.

"I'm sorry too." He muttered, turning slightly to watch the other from the corner of his eye. "It's never easy to lose a parent."

There was a rustling from the sheets, and he could sense the other teen's sad smile. The streetlights blinked on outside the window, the sound of angry honking filling the air. Small rays of light were reflected off of _Haru's_ studded boots, and they dotted the dark corners of the room.

The alarm on Kyo's watch beeped quietly, compared to the blaring noise outside.

His shift was over.

_tbc._

--

This won't be very long, so don't worry. I've been messing around with this story for a month or two, debating whether or not I wanted to post it, and in it's wake I've spawned a number of dark, depressing little drabbles and oneshots.

It's planned to be pretty light hearted though. Very much like _'In the Land of Women'_ or the original _Fruits Basket_.


	2. duex

**It's Not Like I Can't**

_Chapter Two_

One would think he'd want to relax on his one day off from both school and work, but Kyo found that he couldn't even concentrate on _sleep_. So of course, at five-thirty in the morning, when the rest of the right-minded _city _was in bed, the orange haired boy was brushing his teeth angrily in the bathroom down the hall, hoping against all hope that he didn't wake his foster father. (he wouldn't be upset, but Kyo would feel terrible if he was too tired to teach karate to his bratty little students)

He rinsed his mouth, glaring at himself in the mirror. He knew deep down that he wasn't really glaring at himself. No, the careless brown eyes that he imagined didn't belong to him, and the soft, friendly voice that echoed through his mind was far too nice to be his own. He sighed in aggravation, drying his hands and (quietly) stomping back to his own room.

He would surely never see the strange teenager ever again, and people were just as nice all the time. Hell, _girls_ had been that nice to him before; pretty girls with big bouncing boobs who offered more than just a sad little talk about deadbeat parents.

Kyo Sohma was not gay. He'd slept with girls before, had a couple of tragically short relationships, and he was _definitely_ _not_ _gay. _Though the thought of slutty girls with huge breasts couldn't distract him from the image of a tall, thin teen with too much jewelry, and it was _insane! _He repeated over and over to himself, _'boobs, boobs, boobs, think of boobs!', _but it wouldn't go away. It was like the stupid rich brat had possessed him with his stupid rich charms, and he then realized that the guy could have any girl, hell, any _boy_ he wanted.. Why would he settle for a lowly _servant_ at his fancy hotel?

All of his mental rantings stopped at this, and he concluded that he needed serious advice. Kazuma was asleep, and a nice little chat about his adopted son's sexuality wouldn't be the best way to start his day, so the orange haired boy reached for the phone on his bedside table, dialing the numbers and placing it against his ear. It rang four times, then a tired voice hissed through the ear-piece,

"What the Hell do _you_ want? Don't you realize that some people have to go to Church in a couple of fucking hours?!"

He was silent for a moment, contemplating this, and glancing to the digital clock that read _'6:14AM'. _He began unbuttoning his night shirt, balancing the phone between his shoulder and ear.

"Really Uo, I never thought of you as the church-going type."

The girl laughed, then the sound of rustling sheets muffled the sound, and she yawned, making Kyo realize how tired he actually was.

"So what's the problem carrot-top?"

He chose to ignore the nickname for the time being, wondering how exactly he was going to ask his question.

"Uo.. have you ever thought of me as.. gay?"

The girl laughed again, then paused, seeming to be thinking about her answer carefully.

"Well, you've slept with some slutty-ass hoes.. but I guess there was that one time in third grade that Kakeru told everyone that you were in love with Yuki."

She seemed unusually happy that morning, because she was laughing again, and Kyo growled, tearing his shirt off roughly.

"Fuck you."

He shot back.

"Kakeru _also_ said that I was a French mercenary from Japan who was here to take over the country, and got himself detention for a week."

She laughed _again_, and he stepped toward his closet to find a new shirt.

"God, he was such an annoying dick back then-"

"-He still is!"

Kyo interjected.

"But seriously, why are you asking me if I think you're gay? Did you bone some dude and you're trying to come out to me, or is it actually something serious?"

He was silent again, stepping out of is night-shorts and pulling on a pair of worn blue jeans. Surprising, the girl on the other line said nothing, waiting patiently for him to answer. He must have really concerned her.

"Um, no, I was just wondering."

He finally spoke.

Uo growled at this, asking gruffly _'why the hell he called her so early if he didn't have anything good to say'_, and the line went dead. Knowing the blond haired girl, she wouldn't even remember the conversation the next time he saw her, or even when she woke up later.

He set the phone down, scratched the back of his head in frustration, and made his way out the door. Light spilled through his windows onto his floor, and out into the hall. The clock read _'6:34AM'. _As he descended the stairs, he could hear Kazuma's alarm go off, and he smiled.

Somehow, today seemed like it would be a good day.

In the busy city streets, many people walked the crowded sidewalk, passing a large, five-star hotel. On the fourth floor, in a suit that his mother had instructed him to _not leave until she came and got him, _a tall, aloof seeming teen sat, staring, bored, at the TV, flipping through the channels without actually seeing what was on. Aside from leaving the room, there was really nothing else he could think of that he could do to bother his mother.

He'd already ordered the most expensive steak from room service for breakfast, along with a large desert that somehow found it's way into the trash, and was now collecting flies. The night before, he'd bought three of the most disgusting, x-rated movies he could find, and made sure to answer house-keeping in nothing but a lacy, black thong he'd stolen from his ex-girlfriend.

He wasn't sure why he wanted so badly to make his own mother hate him, but he did know that the worst thing he had done the entire trip was stay and talk with the orange haired worker that was fixing their old room's television. For some reason, she was more furious that he was talking to hotel staff about anything but the hotel than she was about him being out of his room after dark.

She said they weren't the kind of people he should be seen with, but he saw nothing wrong with the other teen. He seemed just as clean, smart, and normal as any of the people his mother wanted him to hang out with, and he was a Hell of a lot nicer. Of course, his mother wasn't pleased that he'd decided he wanted to attend public school in the city next year, because she didn't know what kind of 'filth' could possibly reside there.

Thankfully though, she was letting him transfer, because even if she disagreed completely with every choice he'd ever made, Haru liked to believe that his mother loved him enough to let him be himself. (or she just didn't want to deal with his whining.)

There was a sudden knock at his door, and the sound of a woman's voice complaining that the hotel should have given her a copy of Haru's room key. The black and white haired teen smirked slightly, rising from the bed and slowly making his way to let his impatient parent in. Right as he pulled the door open, the woman pushed passed him, exclaiming that she decided he'd been good during their trip (she must not have gotten the bills yet), so she had rented him a limo to drive him around the city while she was gone.

"Wait," He interrupted. "Where will _you_ be?"

The woman flushed, all of the sudden rather twitchy.

"Me?!" She stammered. "I'll be away at a meeting with Mr. Sohma."

Haru wanted to laugh, and ask _'Again? What could possibly be so important?', _but the older woman nudged him out of the room, chirping that the chauffeur was waiting and he'd better get going. (this coming from a the woman who would make a driver wait hours as she shopped.)

He let himself be forced out of his room, however, because this may have been the only chance he'd have to see the city before he started school.

_'You never know,' _He told himself, _'maybe I'll meet the love of my life today.'_

Kyo glanced at the list in his hand once more, pulling his busted-up car out into the empty street. Even though he and his foster father couldn't afford to live in the city, he was thankful that their cosy little home/makeshift-dojo was in a quiet neighborhood, with traffic only starting a few miles away. Of course, he knew he would end up in the city anyway; a family friend and her mother owned a shop a few streets up from where he worked, and he didn't mind wasting a half-tank of gas to help them out.

He pushed lightly on the brake, realizing that he had already made his way into the city, and pulling to a gradual stop behind a limo that didn't seem to know where it was going. He sighed in aggravation, taking the first chance he got to pull passed the indecisive vehicle, and driving the remaining mile or so, before parking outside a small farmer's market style grocery store.

As he opened the door to the shop, a bell rang, and a kind female's voice greeted him from somewhere near the counter.

"Welcome to our shop!" She exclaimed cheerfully, "I hope you find what you need!"

He glanced curiously in her direction, realizing that she couldn't see him over the large pile of boxes she was carrying from the back room.

"Hey, Tohru, do you need some help?"

He asked, smiling in amusement as she bumped into the wall by the doorway.

"Kyo!"

She squeaked, and in surprise, dropped the boxes onto the floor.

"Oh no! I should really be more careful! Aw, Mom's gonna be so sad if I broke something important! Why am I so-"

The orange haired boy cut her off, pulling her away from the pile and grabbing her gently by the shoulders.

"It wasn't your fault, I scared you."

The brunette girl looked as if she was trying to come up with some way to redirect the blame to herself, but was interrupted by the loud voice that laughed from the back-room doorway.

"My, my, my.. If you two weren't so much like sister and brother, I'd think that you were in love!"

Both teens flushed and separated, as the tall, red haired woman began picking up boxes from the floor.

"But sadly, I just can't see you guys as an item after all those times you took baths together."

Tohru stammered, not quite knowing what to say, and Kyo was sure his face was as red as the strawberries the woman was pulling from the fallen boxes.

"KYOKO!"

He screeched.

"We were like.. THREE!"

The woman just laughed, murmuring a small, _'I know Orangie, I know.', _and asking the two if they would mind helping her unload the strawberries before they got bad. Kyo was sure, that if Kazuma was father figure, Kyoko was surely his mother figure.

It didn't hurt that he and Tohru secretly suspected that the two liked each other.

_tbc._

_--_

I think I should have warned you guys about this story.

It took me a few weeks to even_ post_ it after I'd written it, because I kept making little changes, and it's been the same with this chapter.

ahaha, I hope you'll bare with me!

Tohru is one of my favorites though, and it's impossible for me to stick her in a story without adding some chemistry between her and Kyo (that's why she's usually not there). Neither of them are attracted to each other in this, don't worry. Think of them as the two best friends, who's parents were friends, were practically raised together, and may have liked each other before, but couldn't ever date because, hey, _they were_ _practically raised together!_

If you haven't caught on, both Kyo and Haru have something that the other is lacking. Haru has all of the money and perks, but lacks in personal relationships, while Kyo has close friends who love him, but has to work hard to afford even the smallest things.

In my opinion, neither is better, but most people prefer relationships.


	3. trois

**It's Not Like I Can't**

_chapter three_

"You broke up with him _again_? Why?"

Kagura's brows furrowed as she held the phone to her ear, twirling the cord around her index finger as she awaited her cousin's answer.

_"I was cheating on him."_

She sighed in exasperation, untangling her finger and lying back on her bed.

"_Again?_ With _who_?"

She already knew the answer, so she wasn't sure why she had asked.

_"Shigure."_

Grabbing her old stuffed cat from the foot of the mattress, she hugged it to her chest, balancing the phone on her shoulder.

"Why don't you just forget about him and date Shigure then?"

She stared up at the high ceiling of her room, wondering how in the world the other girl had gotten that boy to chase after her like he did. How many times had she cheated now? Six? Seven? How many times had she broken up with him, only for him to take her back the very next day? He must have known that she was playing him. Maybe he did? They had been broken up for a month and a half now, if she'd heard the other girl correctly. Though she claimed it was just because of some business trip his mother was taking, which had them traveling all over the city for weeks.

_"I'd never date Shigure. He likes Akito anyway. He's just trying to make her jealous."_

"And what are _you_ trying to do?"

The line was silent for a moment.

_"I'm not sure.. Sometimes I really think I love him, but.. a lot of times, he just really pisses me off, and I feel like I have to get back at him."_

She rolled onto her side, cupping the phone with one hand and gripping her stuffed animal with the other.

"So when are you going to see him next?"

She drew out, tugging gently at the toy's plush ear.

_"Ayame's throwing a party at his parents' condo, and it's not too far from where _he's_ staying, so he'll probably be there."_

There was a knock at her door, and one of the maids informed her that her mother wanted her to attend dinner.

"Hey, I have to go, but have fun tonight, alright?"

She placed her stuffed cat gently between two giant, fluffy pillows, smoothing out the blanket where she had been lying.

_"Thanks. Talk to you later, Kagura."_

"You too Rin."

_click._

He had to admit, he _did_ feel a little bit guilty. The limo driver appeared quite frustrated with him, as he would instruct the man to nearly stop every few minutes, so he could see all of the small, individual stores that lined the streets. Maybe he felt bad because this driver seemed new, or it may have been due to the countless yelling people that honked angrily as they slowed, but he felt sorry for the poor man.

He was going to allow him to drive the normal speed, even had his mouth open to speak, but at that moment, a beat-up old car pulled passed them and his eyes caught sight of familiar, albeit unusual, orange hair.

"Could you follow that car?"

He asked the chauffeur, meeting the man's eyes in the mirror.

"Sure thing, sir."

He couldn't help but notice the small note of relief in his voice.

The vehicle ahead of them drove about a mile more, before slowing and pulling into a narrow, make-shift parking lot that sat in front of what seemed to be a farmer's market style grocery.

"Wait until he goes in before you pull up."

He directed, watching as the teen locked his car doors and made his way toward the building. Surely his chauffeur thought he was a stalker, but he couldn't find it in him to care. There was something about the other boy that drew Haru in, and the night before, he could have sworn he'd dreamed of pretty, crimson eyes.

The limo pulled up beside the beat-up car, and he almost laughed at the contrast.

"Are you going in, sir?"

The driver inquired.

For the first time he could remember, he felt.. excited, and nervous, and some emotion that he couldn't pinpoint, and couldn't decide if it was good or bad.

"Yes."

He replied.

"In a moment."

There was a light jingle of bells as he opened the door, and he smiled at the mere simplicity of the small shop. It smelled of pine and fresh fruit. A small fan that sat high upon one of the many shelves, carried the scents -and a gentle gust of cool air, which was a relief from the scorching heat of the day- toward him. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.

_'Is this really how poor people live?'_

It took him a moment to realize that he was alone in the strange, one-room store, and he briefly wondered how the owners could possibly be so trusting.

_'I guess they've never dealt with thieves.'_

Over the hum of the fan, the radio blared softly, and he suddenly noticed a small voice that sang along from, seemingly, some other room that he hadn't noticed before. His eyes darted around the area until they caught sight of the old wooden door behind the counter.

_'Ah, so there _are _people in this place. They're just in the back.'_

He had figured as much, since he was positive that he'd seen Kyo walk into this place moments before.

The singing grew louder, until the wooden door behind the counter opened, and a petite brunette girl elbowed it to the side, her arms clutching a giant basket of fresh strawberries. She didn't seem to notice him, as she continued to sing along with the music.

_"If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends, make it last forever-"_

"Excuse me miss-"

He interrupted, taking a few steps toward her.

She jumped in surprise, causing the basket to slip from her fingers, and strawberries to scatter across the floor.

"Oh no! Not again! Mom's going to be so upset!"

He could barely stifle a laugh as the girl fell to her knees and began hurriedly gathering the fruit back into the basket.

"Sorry for scaring you, miss."

She then went into a flurry of apologies. 'Sorry for for ignoring him', 'sorry for being startled', 'sorry for dropping the strawberries', 'sorry for apologizing so much'-

"You dropped those _again_? Geez, Tohru!"

A male voice laughed, and Haru instantly recognized it from the day before. Chocolate brown eyes met fiery red, and by the look on the orange haired boy's face, he seemed to remember him as well.

"I thought I saw you come in here. It's nice to see you again, Kyo."

He vaguely thought he heard the brunette girl ask Kyo if he was a friend of his, but he was too preoccupied by the look on Kyo's face. A flush colored his cheeks, and he seemed torn between being angry or disturbed by Haru's words.

"I'm sorry if that sounded strange."

He drew out, pausing momentarily to watch the girl -who was still gathering strawberries from the floor- as she squeaked in horror upon noticing that she was kneeling on one of the fruits and had squished it.

"-But I was driving through the city and thought I saw a familiar face-"

"So you decided to _stalk_ me?!"

Kyo had apparently discovered that he could be both angry and disturbed at the same time.

"No, not stalk.. I just wanted to stop by and say hello."

The other boy didn't seem convinced. The girl gasped, probably noticing that she had ruined more fruit.

"Maybe we could get lunch? You and I, and your.. _girlfriend_ here?"

Kyo gave him a look.

"Not girlfriend, just Tohru."

Nothing in his voice hinted otherwise. Haru found himself oddly relieved. In seconds, the girl -Tohru- was on her feet, bowing and introducing herself. He couldn't help but notice the strawberry stains on the knee-area of her skirt.

"You must be Haru from the hotel! Kyo told me about how nice you were yesterday! It's an honor to meet someone that Kyo likes so much!"

"TOHRU!"

Kyo's flush had spread and darkened. His hands were balled at his sides, shoulders stiff. Haru couldn't help the chuckle that left his lips.

"He told you _all_ about me? How nice.. What exactly did he say?"

He smiled down at Tohru, trying desperately to hide his smirk at the sound of Kyo's embarrassed and agitated growl.

"I JUST TOLD HER HOW WEIRD YOU WERE! STOP GETTING IDEAS! I'M NOT A STALKER LIKE YOU!"

The door behind the counter opened once more, and a woman who appeared to be in her mid-forties stepped out, an amused grin on her face.

"Kyon, what's gotten you so worked up this time?"

"I'M NOT WORKED UP!"

The woman eyed Haru strangely, before placing a hand on her hip and smiling knowingly.

"You must be Haru. You're staying at the hotel where Kyon here works, right? I'm Kyoko, by the way."

He felt another laugh building in his throat. Kyo began stammering unintelligibly.

"It's very nice to meet you, ma'am. I was wondering if I might be able to take these two out for lunch?"

He gestured toward dumbly smiling brunette and the sputtering orange-head. Something in Kyoko's demeanor changed at this. Her eyes glinted so mischievously that it almost made him uncomfortable.

"Well, Tohru and I were going to close shop for the day and go to the zoo, but.. Kyo's completely free, isn't that right, Kyo?"

Tohru seemed to catch some secret message in her words, because she nodded quickly in determination. Kyo, it seemed, had caught it too, and seemed rather twitchy and irritable, much like Haru's mother had been that morning.

"But.. I.."

The red-faced teen seemed at a loss for words.

"We'd better get going then,"

Haru found himself saying.

"I know the perfect restaurant, but they close in a little over an hour."

Kyo gaped at him, but allowed himself to be pulled gently to the door, and out into the waiting limo.

As the door swung closed, and the bells jingling in protest, Tohru look up her mom, concern coloring her features.

"Do you think Kyo will be okay?"

She questioned nervously.

Kyoko smiled.

_"He was such a weird person."_

Kyo had said.

_"He was.. completely different than any other guest."_

Then, he had blushed.

Kyoko slung an arm around her daughter, so cute and naive and stained with strawberries. Sure, Kyo had his family, but the expression on his face when he had spoken of Haru.. She had never seen it before.

"He'll be fine."

She spoke finally.

_'He's such a silly person, falling in love and not even knowing it.'_

_tbc._

_--_

This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I fell asleep. (lazy, lazy)

Chapter three is for_ flyingdaggers _(how many things have I dedicated to you now?) for finally getting me continue this story. It's not too long, but my wrist hurts!

The song Tohru was singing was _'Wannabe'_ by _The Spice Girls. _Don't ask why I have it on my ipod.

Please leave reviews! I'd appreciate it very much!


	4. quatre

**It's Not Like I Can't**

_chapter four_

Kyo was uncomfortable. Not because the afternoon sun was hot on his back, or even because every time he would glance up he would notice that Haru had been staring at him (the black and white haired teen adverted his gaze each time, but it was still painfully obvious that he couldn't keep his eyes to himself). No, his current state of discomfort could only be blamed on himself (and Haru to some degree). He should have known that they wouldn't be going anywhere casual. He wasn't even sure casual was _in_ the other teen's vocabulary. Regardless, he had been on the receiving end of some rather patronizing glares since Haru had first dragged him into the spacious, two-story French-style restaurant that Kyo wasn't sure he had ever noticed before.

Of course, his faded navy-striped polo and old blue jeans definitely left a lot to be desired, especially since Haru donned a rather classy pair of dark-wash pants and a thin button-up dress shirt (with the first three buttons undone for what Kyo imagined was good measure). He ran his fingers through short, orange hair, slightly frizzed from the heat. He let a small sigh escape him, staring over the balcony where their table rested and into the busy city streets. Everything looked so beautiful from far away, and he secretly cherished the moment and this gentler side of the city that he hadn't seen before.

His gaze met Haru's once more, but this time, the black and white haired boy didn't look away.

"Do you know what you're going to order?"

He questioned, motioning vaguely to the thick, leather-bound menu in his hands.

Kyo felt his cheeks flush for the billionth time that day. He had been so wrapped up in the scenery and Haru's peculiar glances that he'd completely forgotten about eating! He hurriedly lifted the fancy thing, flipping through its heavy pages in search of something cheap enough for him to afford. Just as he spotted the _Mousse de Foies de Volaille, _which was both affordable and tasty looking, their waitress approached. She seemed to be in her early twenties, with glossy brown hair that framed her large bust.

"Bienvenue,"

She drew out slowly, and even with her silky voice, Kyo cringed at the terrible American accent.

"Have you two gentlemen decided what you'd like to order?"

He ordered quickly and flawlessly, noticing to his embarrassment that Haru sent him a curious look.

As the busty woman turned to leave, the black and white haired boy sent her a small half-smile.

"Thank you, mademoiselle."

He spoke kindly, his tone of voice causing Kyo to roll his eyes.

The women blushed, then made her way to the kitchen to place their orders.

It was quiet for a moment, before the poorer of the two found himself breaking the silence.

"You said it wrong."

The irritation in his voice surprised even himself.

He recieved a raised eyebrow and an amused, "hmm?"

"When you said mademoiselle, you put too much emphasis on the ending."

His cheeks seemed to have caught fire, and he instantly regretted opening his mouth. Haru probably thought he was some petty, French-linguistics fanatic now, and probably wondered why he even bothered bringing him out to lunch. He mentally shook himself. What did it matter if the idiot thought he was crazy? It wasn't like he actually cared. Of course not.

"I've never been too good at foreign languages."

The black and white haired boy admitted sheepishly, drawing Kyo out of his addled thoughts.

"Though, you seem quite familiar with French. Are you fluent?"

The orange haired boy cleared his throat, gluing his eyes to the road below (and looking at anything but those chocolate eyes).

"Yeah.. I lived there when I was little."

Haru nodded, obviously expecting him to continue.

"Um.. We, uh, my mom and I moved here when I was five, but she wasn't ever any good at English, so I guess I mostly spoke French at home and English at school."

Haru's smile didn't falter, and he briefly wondered if the other teen was even listening to him.

"Your mother.."

He drew out slowly, voice seeming quiet in the bustle of the afternoon.

"She sounds like she was a wonderful person."

Kyo knew that was bullshit. His mother definitely wasn't a wonderful person, and nothing about his story had even hinted at that. Though he liked to tell himself that he could barely remember her, his memory had always been quite acute, and there were times he would recognize a smell that resembled her strong perfume, or a laugh that sounded so similar to her own. The woman had actually been very selfish, and no matter how much she may or may not have loved her only son, she had still loved her needle more. More times than not, she would forget him at school, or in the grocery store, when he was younger. She was moody and strange, and he'd learned at an early age how to cook for himself, walk to and from kindergarten, and clean up the old needles so mommy reuse one and die.

He shook his head, staring through his lashes at Haru in annoyance.

"No.. she really wasn't."

The other teen only laughed, apologizing politely.

"So, you live with your father now?"

He inquired, innocently enough.

Kyo felt himself bristle.

"..No, I live with my _foster_ father now."

He replied curtly, hopefully making it quite obvious to the nosy teen that he shouldn't push the issue.

"Well, as you know, my father left when I was young, and you've already met my mother. Is there anything you would like to know about me?"

A chubby man flirted with a stick-skinny woman three tables down, and a car honked vigorously in the distance, mingling momentarily with the woman's playful laughter, as Kyo once again found himself thrust into the spotlight by this unusual teen. Didn't Haru ever get tired of hearing him talk?

"Why did you invite me here?"

The orange haired boy finally asked.

Haru's smile widened at this, as he seemed oddly pleased by Kyo's words.

Regardless, he was silent for a moment, almost as if contemplating whether or not to answer. The waitress stopped by their table and placed two steaming plates before them, winking cutely at Haru as she sauntered away.

"Well,"

The chocolate-eyed boy began after a short time.

"I find you extremely attractive.. and interesting. I've never meet someone before who was so pleasing to the eyes, but could hold my attention as well."

Kyo's eyes almost bulged out of his head. He dropped his fork in surprise, startling not only himself, but the chubby man and his date.

"You.. what?!"

His cheeks were surely burning white hot by now. Haru's smile still didn't falter, though something in his eyes seemed to change.

"There's a party tonight. A friend of mine is hosting it. Would you mind going?"

Kyo sputtered incoherently, ignoring the murmuring that this action received from the many patrons who sat around them.

"Wha- What?!"

There was laughter in the wealthy boy's eyes as he watched the orange headed teen.

"I'm sure my friends would be thrilled to meet you."

"Wha-!?"

He actually did laugh this time.

"Just answer yes or no, Kyo."

"I.. Fine."

Haru paused. If he had just heard right.. Kyo had.. _Accepted?_

"You'll go?"

His voice sounded placid as always, but his emotions were raging like nothing else. The orange haired boy still hadn't lost the color in his cheeks, and he cut his food a bit more forcefully than necessary.

"Yes, I'll go. Is it_ that _surprising to you?!"

The chocolate eyed boy shook his head in a soft _'no', _grabbing his fork and knife and attempting to switch his attention to his own meal. His heart felt lighter than ever before.

--

Kazuma hadn't stopped giving him strange looks since he had gotten home. Which was extremely frustrating, considering that he'd walked in the front door over two hours ago. Upon entering the house, he asked his foster father if he could go out with a friend, and the older man hadn't missed the flustered way he'd spoken. Of course, he said yes, and Kyo had went to work preparing dinner early for him, because apparently, said _new friend_ was going to pick him up at six. He then went to the dojo to practice for awhile. Afterwards, he made his way upstairs to shower and get ready.

He emptied the contents of his pockets, setting the few items neatly on the bathroom counter before throwing his pants down the laundry chute. He stared briefly at his wallet, remembering how Haru had refused to let him pay for his own meal. The cost would have taken a large portion of his already meager funds, sure, but he was determined to pay the wealthy teen back one way or another. Kyo Sohma was definitely not a mooch.

The cool water felt good on his tense muscles, and he sighed contently. He let his mind wander as his hands worked shampoo through his short hair. The entire day had seemed surreal, and he had no doubt in his mind that the night would be just as unusual. Haru was.. so _strange_, so unlike anyone he had ever met before. He just couldn't figure him out. It was only the second day he had known the teen, and he was already attending some big party as his date.

His eyes widened, the conditioner bottle he'd been holding sliding out of his grip and falling to the floor with an audible thump. _Date?!_ This was definitely _not_ going to be a date! If anything, Haru just wanted to gloat to his snobby rich friends that he was helping out some poor hotel staff!

That didn't seem like the black and white haired teen at all though, and he groaned in frustration, crouching down and snatching the fallen bottle from the shower floor.

_He was so screwed._

Within the next half an hour, he found himself searching through his wardrobe in frustration, Uo laughing her ass off at his antics from the other end of the phone.

"Goddammit Uo! What do you think looks the most.. _sophisticated_ on me?"

He was answered with more laughter.

_"Okay, okay."_

The blonde girl's voice rang from the receiver.

_"Why don't you wear that gray v-neck t-shirt and white undershirt Tohru gave you for your birthday?"_

A second voice called from the phone -Tohru's- as Kyo skimmed his closet for the mentioned articles of clothing.

_"Oh, and you can wear the worn out jeans that Kazuma bought you last month! Don't you think those would look nice on him, Hana?"_

There was distant reply of, _"If Kazuma bought it, it must be nice."_ and he rolled his eyes at the dark haired girl, reminding himself to never let her and Kazuma within five feet of each other.

When Kyo had called Tohru's cellphone, he hadn't had any idea that she and Uo would be spending the night at Hana's house. If he had known, he may have decided not to call at all, but he had to admit that their shared input was more than helpful.

He finally spotted the shirts, digging the jeans out of one of the drawers at a, _thankfully_, quicker pace.

After pulling the undershirt over his head, followed by the over-shirt, he stepped into the form-fitting, worn out pair of jeans that Tohru had suggested.

_"So?"_

Both Tohru and Uo questioned at once, and Kyo smiled in amusement.

"You guys are too good. Thanks."

Uo's smirk was evident in her tone as she wished him a good time, Tohru was beside herself with joy, and Hana's monotoned voice spoke that she hoped the "waves" were good.

"I'll call you guys when I get home."

He promised, fixing his hair slightly in the mirror.

_"You'd better."_

The blonde answered.

He chuckled lightly.

The doorbell rang.

_to be continued._

_--_

_For anyone who didn't know, there's a poll on my page concerning Haru's last name in this story. I'm not quite sure why I put Sohma on there, since it's already Kyo's last name, and they're not supposed to be cousins (since this is set in America), but I wasn't really thinking, I guess. The choices are Hatake, Sohma, Fubuki, and Takaya. Takaya is from Natsuki Takaya, who created Fruits Basket. Hatake (according to Wikipedia, while it's not exactly a credible source) is Takaya's supposed real last name. Fubuki is especially funny to me because it was a class of destroyer ships for Japan in the 1930's, along with the Akatsuki-class and __**Hatsuharu-class**__. It's funny to me because I have no sense of humor._


End file.
